Love Letters to Warped Tour--Spending Fourth of July weekend under the blistering sun of Las Cruces sounds ... well, bad. But what if you just happened to be at Warped Tour, in the presence of 60 of your most revered alternative teen-dream bands? Like AFI and Anti-Flag, Bouncing Souls, NOFX, Saves The Day and Senses Fail? The Casualties? Better? OK, how about this: What if you and a friend didn't have to wait in line, got in for free and gained special access to the tour's VIP backstage barbecue?

Concert/CD release party at the Albuquerque Museum

By Mel Minter

When saxophonist Glenn Kostur first arrived in Albuquerque 11 years ago, coming in from Chicago to head up the Jazz Studies program at UNM, the thin air got to him. When he played, he’d find himself running out of gas about a measure and a half before he reached the end of his musical idea.

Thursday-Saturday, June 8-10, at 20 Downtown Venues (both 21-and-over and all-ages); $24.95 or $10: With 140 indie bands and dozens of industry panelists, the first-ever Hyperactive Music Festival is like a three-day indie fantasy camp. Festival Director Jenny Gamble says she and Executive Director Allison Shaw wanted to create a music festival that was patterned after Austin’s now world-famous South by Southwest. “We wanted to put something together that could educate local bands on how to do everything from put a press kit together to how to tour or where to go from there,” explains Gamble. “We also agree with the mayor in that we, too, don’t want to keep saying, ‘Albuquerque should be more like Austin,’ and instead in five years have people in other cities saying, ‘We should be more like Albuquerque.’”

'80s pop star Tiffany performs at Pridefest

By Jessica Cassyle Carr

In the late ’80s, I religiously watched ABC’s TGIF, a block of four situational comedies (in 1988 it was “Perfect Strangers,” “Full House,” “Mr. Belvedere” and “Just the Ten of Us”). While I found the three slutty daughters on “Just the Ten of Us” appealing, and enjoyed the foreigner humor of “Perfect Strangers” and “Mr. Belvedere,” “Full House” was the favorite--with its relatable characters, it was probably every 8-year-old’s favorite.

with The Dirty Novels and BBQ

By Simon McCormack

Monday, June 12, Burt’s Tiki Lounge (21-and-over); free: Built on tremolo-laden distorted guitars, simplistic drum beats and unintelligible vocal wailings, Montreal’s Demon’s Claws are another band out to prove that Sex Pistols-era punk and Willows-style garage rock were made for one another.

Yule Logs and Jingle Balls • Holly Rebelle • Mena Domina • burlesque

By Devin D. O'Leary

Gilded Cage Burlesk and Varieté is definitely getting on Santa's Naughty list with Yule Logs and Jingle Balls: A Very Risqué, Very Glittery, Very Burlesque Ode to the Holidays. Burlesque dancers, sideshow performers, drag acts and more join forces to celebrate this most sparkly of holidays in grand style…